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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, March 10, 2005

Expanded assessment testing under way

 •  Test-taking tips
 •  Sample questions

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer

For the first time this year, all students in grades three through eight, and grade 10, are taking the Hawai'i State Assessment to meet requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Previously, the tests were required only in grades three, five, eight and 10.

The tests have been changed from those given last year, when at least 45 errors were discovered in the math and language arts exams.

The flawed items have "either been deleted entirely from the item pool or obviously changed, and quite a number of new items, of course, are undergoing tremendous scrutiny," said Selvin Chin-Chance, who oversees student testing at the state Department of Education.

The two-month testing period has just started, so Harcourt Assessment Inc., the Texas-based company that prepares the tests, schools and others with a vested interest have been carefully examining the tests.

"There has been checking and cross-checking from all the parties," Chin-Chance said.

Testing will be completed in April. Then Chin-Chance's department has the monumental task of having the results ready to report by the first week in August — earlier than the results have been released in the past. This includes not just the school-by-school test scores, but the "adequate yearly progress" results that determine whether individual schools will face No Child Left Behind sanctions.

The scores of individual students also will be released in the fall, but they affect only overall school results, not students' grades.

There is not much parents can do to help their children prepare academically for the test, but by next year Chin-Chance hopes that will change.

"We're trying to get more materials that are parent-friendly out there in the field," he said.

For example, vendors have proposed an online site that will include mini-lessons.

"It's a great opportunity for the parents to use sample exercises," Chin-Chance said.

In the future, parents will be expected to take a more active role in their children's education.

"The entire DOE system, including the report card system, is going to be standards-based, so as parents help their children in either one of these components, they will reinforce each other and no longer stand in isolation," he said.

Reach Treena Shapiro at 525-8014 or tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.

• • •

Test-taking tips

Parents can help their children perform at their best by making sure they get to bed early on test days, eat breakfast and get to school on time. Students also may find these strategies helpful:

• Read all directions carefully and critically.

• Budget your time. Ideally you want to go through the test at least three times: a first pass at what you know easily, a second pass to work through the toughies, and a final check.

• Attempt all items on the first pass, but keep in mind your budgeted time per question so you can determine your pace accurately.

• Read all items carefully and critically, and read all answers before choosing one, comparing them to the answer you have already formulated in your head.

• Use the process of elimination to your benefit. Look for cues in the question itself or the types of answers given.

• Change answers only after thoughtful consideration, not just because you were unsure the first time.

• Use a marking system to know which questions you need to come back to; cross off answers as you eliminate them so you do not have to reread them upon return. Use a question mark for uncertain answers, a dot or frown face for questions on which you had no clue. Be sure to erase stray marks.

• Double check for careless mistakes, skipped questions, and/or misinterpretation of directions.

• Use relaxation techniques such as taking five deep breaths or counting down to 10 if you find yourself becoming tense or freezing.

• Guess, especially if there is no penalty for wrong answers. Credit is never given for a blank.

• Say to yourself, "I am a good test taker." Confidence is half the battle.

Source: Sylvan Learning Centers, www.educate.com.


Sample questions

Grade 3 multiple-choice reading question:

The two words that make up the word storytelling tell you that this word means that someone -

A. is reading a book to herself

B. likes books better than songs

C. is sharing something that happened with others

D. knows a lot about different places.



Grade 5 writing topic

What makes someone a friend? Write so that a reader will understand what you believe being a friend is all about. (It may help you to first think about friendship before you write. Think about friends you have now, friends you had when you were younger, and friends you would like to have. Think about yourself as a friend to others.)



Grade 7 multiple-choice reading question

If you did not know what the word barricade means in paragraph 4, which strategy would be best to try?

A. Sound out the word

B. Identify the part of speech

C. Continue reading, looking for clues

D. Look for familiar parts of the word



Grade 10 multiple-choice mathematics question

A scientist at a research facility on Maui has discovered a bacteria that can double its population every hour. What type of function can be best used to describe this situation?

A. Absolute value

B. Quadratic

C. Exponential

D. Linear


Answers: Grade 3: C. Grade 7: C. Grade 10: C.